Thursday, October 21, 2010

Twelve

Wow I've been busy. Midterms just ended, and I spent one of the best weekends of my life back home in New Orleans a few days ago. I haven't posted for a long time. Sorry about that. Anyway, here is my latest painting, also for the Self Image and Metaphor class:

Fitting

2010

The assignment was to go to the zoo and meld yourself with an animal to say something metaphorically. Can you guess which animal I am?

After the zoo, I couldn't decide between an orangutan or a gorilla, and after researching the symbolism of both animals, I found out that they mean almost the complete opposite of each other.

So I am the orangutan, the "other human" who did not want to work for a living, so he moved to the forest to live in the trees (according to Indonesian myth). I am fitting my hand into a gorilla hand print, the mark of an ape who, when appearing in dreams, symbolizes that it is time to earn what you want and to stop waiting for things to just fall into your lap.

This is an appropriate result for someone who is absolutely self-critical all the time and is always trying to be better, braver, stronger, more productive, despite an innate laziness and fearful hesitance to just jump into things. I need to be and want to be more like a gorilla. Mark is totally a gorilla. I don't know how he does it. Being an orangutan just comes easier.

BONUS

Here is a side-by-side comparison of the drawing and the painting, switched to black and white for easier read of the differences and similarities. I think the painting turned out more orangutan-like, no?

MORE BONUS

Here is a painting I did in high school, as a senior. The wonderful Sally Perry bought it when it was hanging in the senior show, and it is hanging in her office! This is the picture she sent me of it:

I can't remember the title.

2007

I think it looks great all framed and hanging on a wall. Mark considers this my "break through" piece as a painter.